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http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2369940

Terrorism Focus
March 28, 2006

"Anbar Revenge Brigade Makes Progress in the Fight Against al-Qaeda"
By Lydia Khalil

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Four of the individuals killed by the Anbar Revenge Brigade were leaders of al-Qaeda and the fifth was from Ansar al-Sunnah, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda and part of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Mujahideen Shura Council. Little information has been released as to the names of those killed. The Anbar Revenge Brigade has a record of previous engagement against al-Qaeda. In January, al-Hayat reported that the group arrested 270 al-Qaeda and foreign terrorists in al-Anbar Province.

Much attention has been devoted to the cooperation between indigenous Iraqi insurgents and foreign al-Qaeda fighters. There is a growing trend, however, of Iraqi resistance forces turning against al-Qaeda in their effort to end the coalition military occupation. Groups like Anbar Revenge Brigade have come to the conclusion that the best way to reduce the coalition troop presence in their home regions is to flush out al-Qaeda elements in their cities. Iraqi Sunni tribal and religious leaders have been victims of al-Qaeda attacks, further turning key tribes in al-Anbar against al-Qaeda elements.

The Anbar Revenge Brigade was formed with Iraqi government and coalition military backing and support through a "security committee" initiative that attempts to place security responsibility in the hands of local residents. The Anbar Revenge Brigade and groups like it are not a formal part of Iraq's security structure. Instead, they are armed groups made up of tribal members that assist securing al-Anbar in conjunction with Iraqi security services (Assyrian News Agency, January 30). It is estimated that the Brigade consists of around 100 members.

The creation of the Anbar Revenge Brigade stemmed from meetings between provincial leaders, Iraqi security officials and coalition representatives in November 2005. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss creative solutions to step up U.S. withdrawal and to secure the cooperation of tribal elements in improving the security situation in the restive province (Arab Times, March 16)."